I am not Messi’s friend, says Ronaldo

November 5, 2012 by Agency Reporter

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo says he has a strictly professional relationship with Lionel Messi and is not friends with the Argentina international.

The pair have been painted as fierce rivals in recent years, with both players competing for club and individual honours. Even though he admits they are not close, Ronaldo is adamant there are no issues between the two of them and expressed his respect for the Barcelona man.

“He (Lionel Messi) is a great player,” Ronaldo told beIN sport. “I have a professional relationship (with him) like I have with other players. I’m not friends with him, because we don’t share the same dressing room. I respect him like a professional. We’re not real friends, just friends through our profession.

“There are no issues between the two of us. It’s (issues being created) not just now, it’s been the same for the last five years. I can’t control it.”

Neither of the Ballon d’Or candidates found the back of the net on Saturday as Los Blancos recorded a comfortable 4-0 win over Zaragoza, while the Blaugrana saw off Celta Vigo 3-1.

you know his better than you… messi and ronaldo is like butterfly and eagle

anifowosetj@yahoo.com

Ronaldo is better than messi. people create things for messi but ronaldo create things for himself.

okey

ronaldo is better because he has played in many clubs unlike messi who has been playing for only one club.

liberal

MESSI is the greatest player ever. he gives his all when is on the pitch. off the pitch, he is role model

tony ibe

You are not even a friend of your team mates Casilas and Ramos,Thank God your a white guy, the way you behave if you happened to come from Nigeria hmmmmm, nobody will enter the street you will be living

sammy

ronaldo is da best

ygg

honstly cr7 is not socia guy he is always hostile, even to his team mate. but he really is professional and passionate player to me he is better than messi in this regard

http://www yggg

cr7 is better

Victorious

GREAT PELE, GREAT MARADONA AND MAGICAL MESSI…THOSE ARE THE THREE
THAT GET COMPARED ALL OVER THE GLOBE, SO WHERE IS RONALDO AMONG THE THREE GREATEST OF ALL TIME???????????????????????IT’S MESSI MESSI MESSI…….LONG LIVE KING LEO

DEBORAH

@ Victorious, ur life would have been better if u had being popular like Ronaldo. Ronaldo and Messi are both great players of our time.

Archsaintspirit

Messi, omo oro. I like you…..

Onyinye

Chelsea…….up blues

Promise

Ronaldo is better because he has played in many clubs, unlike messi who has been playing for only one club and he said he is not leaving the club…

what has playing in diff leagues got to do with d best player?Are u saying those that voted for Messi for 3 consecutive times made mistakes.U dat is not on d side of Messi need to have a rethink.Messi is d best bcos u cant be d best in your chosen career by accident.PLS PURSUE UR DREAM AND B D BEST.

elias.o

In term of physique and individual prowess cr7 edges messi.Ronaldo is my guy.

Ay

This may be the single most contentious
argument that exists in modern day
football. Our generation is genuinely
blessed to have two modern day greats
playing at the same time, for the greatest
rivals in the world game. These two players
seem to break long-standing records every
time they step foot on the pitch and this
shows no sign of stopping.
Messi and Ronaldo are currently tied atop
the race for the European Golden Shoe with
41 league goals each and Messi seems to be
well in sight of scoring more than 70 goals
in all competitions this season. The last
time anyone scored anywhere near as many
goals as this was when the great Gerd
Muller struck 67 goals for Bayern Munich in
the 1972/1973 season. With all fairness to
Muller he was a fox in the box whereas
these two players offer so much more to
their respective clubs.
This season the pair have produced some
absolutely scintillating performances –
Messi’s five goal haul against Bayer
Leverkusen and Ronaldo’s hat-trick vs arch
rivals Atletico immediately spring to mind.
Yet, when asked who the best player in the
world is, most including myself, will
unequivocally reply simply in one word –
Messi.
For many people today Leo is not just the
best player of a generation, but he is the
best to ever do it. Forget Pele, Maradona or
Zidane, the argument for Messi being the
greatest ever player is being shouted from
the Himalayas to the Marians Trench. Here
are my top ten reasons for Leo Messi being
superior to Cristiano Ronaldo.

1. Born a Star
Unlike Ronaldo, Messi has been a superstar
from the moment he first stepped on to the
famous Nou Camp pitch. From the moment
Ronadinho clipped a delightful ball over the
top of the Albacete defence and a 17 year
old Messi showed his ice cold composure by
chipping a first time shot over the on
rushing goalkeeper, it has been evident
that this boy is something special.
Ronaldo took a few seasons after his move
to Old Trafford to develop into the world
class player he has gone on to become.
Messi was already a key player for one of
the best teams in the world with some of
the biggest names on the planet by the
time he had finished his first full season. He
seemed to make an effortless transition
from the youth team to the first team that
boasted the likes of Ronaldinho, Xavi and
Deco.

2. Not physically imposing
Leo Messi has to deal with the fact that he
is going to be the smallest player on the
pitch in almost every match. As a number
10 this can be to his advantage, as a lower
centre of gravity means it is harder to take
the ball from him. Yet, at the same time
this means he will receive over physical
treatment in every game, which he deals
with admirably.
This may be true for Ronaldo as well, but
his body type will be much more suited to
this type of treatment. Standing at a height
of 5’7 (only due to the hormone treatment
he received when he moved to Barca),
Messi has been able to overcome his lack of
natural physicality.

3. Trophy Cabinet
Since making his Barcelona debut in 2004,
Leo Messi has managed to pick up an
unbelievable 18 trophies for the Blaugrana.
Messi has won everything that he could
have possibly won at club level and he is
still only 24. Ronaldo has scored countless
goals since arriving in Spain but as of yet he
has only won the Copa Del Rey.

4. Team Player
Being a team player may not be an asset
you would associate with a player who has
scored 63 goals to date this season, but it
can be used to describe Messi. Along with
his ridiculous tally of goals he has also
managed to bag 25 assists along the way, a
true team member. Compare this with
Ronaldo who seems to shoot simply for the
sake of it sometimes; it seems that Leo
defiantly puts the team before number 1.

5. Direct Dribbling
While both players are outstanding
dribblers of the highest calibre, Messi
definitely comes out on top. While the
amount of step-overs Ronaldo does to beat
one man sometimes is over the top, Messi
keeps it simple and is much more effective
taking on his man. Messi has the ability to
change direction at such great pace, and
the amount of goals that Messi has scored
by just running past his flabbergasted
opponents with the ball seemingly stuck to
his foot without any fancy step-overs
speaks volumes.

6. Big Game Player
Messi has proved time and again to be a
man for the big occasion. His countless
goals vs Real Madrid and in Champions
League finals and various other big matches
prove that the big occasions are not too
much for Leo. Ronaldo in the past has been
said to go missing when his team needs
him most, something that cannot be said
about his Barcelona counterpart.

7. Consistency
243 goals are the amount that Leo has
managed to score since making his debut
for Barcelona in 2004. He has been able to
perform at the highest level of football since
he was only 17 – not many players can say
this. Apart from a few injury problems early
in his career he has managed to play most
of the games that the Blaugrana are
involved in.

8. Better at everything besides Headers
& Free-Kicks
The simple fact is that Leo Messi is better
than Ronaldo at everything besides heading
and free kick taking. That being said Leo is
only 5’7 so nobody would expect him to be
wining a vast amount of balls in the air, but
ask Manchester United fans how good he is
in the air. When it comes to free kicks
Ronaldo does score one in every 30 free
kicks or so, meaning he is not as deadly as
everyone perceives him to be. Other than
these two attributes, Messi outshines
Ronaldo on everything else.

9. Humble
For me Leo Messi’s best attribute is his
down to earth nature. While in Madrid
Ronaldo can be seen performing one of his
customary childish tantrums every time one
of his teammates misplaces a pass to him,
Messi is calmness personified. Nothing
better encapsulates this better than after
winning his 3rd Ballon D’Or award, a
selfless Messi dedicated the award to his
teammates Xavi and Iniesta.

10. Humanitarian Work
Off the pitch Leo is dedicated to a number
of good causes. He is a Goodwill
Ambassador for UNICEF and makes regular
trips to visit stricken children in the
hospital. While he also heads up the Leo
Messi foundation which helps battle
diseases, build schools in Argentina and
helps fund cancer researchers in Catalan
Universities.
Messi all d. way…

akins

Messi might have won the title 3 times, that doesnt make him the best. pull out messi from barca and barca still stand, pull out Ronaldo and real madrid will fall. thats how you know the best. only an idiot will group messi with pele, maradonna. what has messi contributed to his national team. i like messi but i respect Ronaldo. Ronaldo is the real man. he stood alone. struggle alone. he has the African spirit. can Messi stand alone. you know he cant.